1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an article sales data processing apparatus which processes sales data for an article sold as one transaction, on the basis of data in a wireless tag attached to the article.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, development of a checkout system using wireless tags has been advanced in the distribution industry. In this system, a wireless tag is attached to each article. A memory of the wireless tag stores article data such as an article code for the identification of the article to which the wireless tag is attached. A wireless tag reader is connected to an article sales data processing apparatus such as a point of sales (POS) terminal. An antenna of the wireless tag reader is provided in the vicinity of a checkout counter.
A customer who pays the bill in the checkout system having such a configuration places on the checkout counter all articles to purchase. The wireless tag attached to each article then communicates with the antenna. Data in each wireless tag is then read by the wireless tag reader. The read data in each wireless tag is sent to the article sales data processing apparatus. The article sales data processing apparatus specifies the articles purchased by the customer in accordance with the data in the wireless tags. Then, sales data for the purchased articles are processed.
In the case of a conventional checkout system using, for example, bercodes, an operator has to perform the operation of reading the bercodes attached to the articles one by one with a scanner. On the contrary, in the case of a checkout system using the wireless tags, the wireless tag reader can collectively read data in the wireless tags attached to a plurality of articles. This allows a drastic reduction in the labor and time required for accounting.
The wireless tag reader reads data in the wireless tags by radio. Thus, the wireless tag reader can read data in the wireless tags in a noncontact manner even from a certain distance as long as it is within the range of wireless communication.
Therefore, if wireless tags are attached to all articles, there arises a problem of the invasion of privacy. Simply having a wireless tag reader enables anyone to know information on goods contained in bags of others without looking into it. Otherwise, it is possible to easily know information on clothes or accessories which others are wearing.
As proposed measures for preventing the invasion of privacy due to the wireless tags, there has heretofore been disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2006-178770 a technique to stop the function of a wireless tag attached to an article when a customer purchases this article.
On the other hand, there has, however, also been devised a mechanism to make effective use of information in a wireless tag attached to an article after a consumer has purchased this article. For example, a mechanism is built to enable the wireless tag reader to read a wireless tag of a food article contained in a refrigerator from the outside of the refrigerator. It is thus possible for the consumer to identify the food articles in the refrigerator without opening the refrigerator. This makes it easy for the consumer to make out a menu or to create a shopping list.